Characters

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Ask the Cast a Question, an ongoing series

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Ask the Cast a Question Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters In Sleep You Know

I’m up to something fun! 
I am going to make a reoccurring series where I “interview” the characters from ISYK/CASOD and see what they have to say. Questions will range from ridiculous to deadly serious.

And YOU will get to play a part in this, if you like!
You can leave suggestions for future questions to ask the entire cast or just one of the characters here – https://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/gnxfwvl

Our first question is already here and ready for you! Today, we have a question for Lucee Fearney, your favorite waffle-loving guitarist and once-mortal Fae leader!

Lucee, the readers want to know: how did you learn to play guitar?

Lucee: Wow, that’s a cool question! Actually, you can blame it on Merrick, just like most of the best things that’ve happened in my life. Back in ninth grade he decided that he wanted to learn how to play guitar. He kept telling me that he knew he was destined to be in a band and he wanted me to be in that band too. He also knew that my father would never go for any of that, so he used his “I have rich parents” connections and pulled some strings with the dean to get us a private guitar teacher. He managed to make it so that it was listed on our curriculum as required, so Da would have no reason to be pissed that I was taking a music class instead of an academic class.

Funny thing was that Merrick struggled with guitar, but I picked it up like I was born to play. It just made sense to me, you know? Our teacher Max (Mr. Max, we used to call him) is the one that suggested to Merrick that he should try switching to the bass, and pointed out that if he wanted to sing, that might make it easier. He was a great teacher! He made us both feel like we could do anything. He’s the one who taught me what makes an instrument sound good, and how to develop my own style and tone. Everything else I learned from trial and error, like you do!

Lucee, you’re the best! Guess I owe you a waffle now, right?

Enjoy this? Expect another Q&A next week! And don’t forget to submit your questions!

Character Love Languages

Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters

A Valentine’s Day Post!

One of the things that gets mentioned in Cast a Shadow of Doubt is love languages. First, before I go any further: I am NOT referencing the book written by Gary Chapman. He certainly wasn’t the first one to come up with the concept of love languages, and I don’t support the way he frames the idea. [Or any of his other ideas.]

Firstly: people can speak or perform multiple love languages, and need different things at different times. They may even need different languages depending on the relationship to that person. Second: there are MANY more than five love languages. You’ll see that in my characters for sure.

Cullen demonstrates his love languages to Lucee regularly. He does his best to give her a safe place where she can express her thoughts and fears, and his quiet and unwavering belief in her is just what she needs. He also expresses his support through food, which is demonstrated several times in Cast a Shadow of Doubt!

Lucee, on the other hand, is a tireless cheerleader for her friends, and is quick with a compliment or a word of encouragement. She goes out of her way to be there for Merrick, and also her other friends when they need her. Oh, and Lucee’s a big ol’ hugger, so touch is important, too.

One of Sousa’s love languages is thoughtful gifts, given with careful consideration to how he knows the future recipient, and what he thinks will bring them the most happiness. He doesn’t do it often, so his gifts make an impact.

Vali expresses her love through service – to The Maithe, the community around her, and The Lady of the City. She is also quick with a kind and supportive word, and slow to judge, which makes her a nurturing sort of person to be around. Vali spends a lot of time volunteering and when people she loves join her, she feels the most complete.

Merrick is another acts of service person. He finds his true calling through joining something bigger than himself, and he is eager to support his Fae family by taking on his role as the Blackbird, champion of House Mirabilis. He also affirms Aisling’s importance in his world and is ready to defend her whenever she needs it.

Aisling’s is dedication. She is fiercely loyal and supportive of those she loves, and goes out of her way to show it. When Merrick runs away from the Eleriannan, she doggedly tracks him down and won’t leave him to suffer alone until he is able to rejoin the Fae.

Want to hear about some of the other characters? What about you – what are yours? Mine are touch and supportive words with a minor in service. And I love touch and gifts!

AMA: Character Favorite Songs

Cast A Shadow Of Doubt Characters

Cast a Shadow of Doubt is LIVE to order now, and as part of the Launch Day celebrations, I’ve been doing fun meme collections and AMAs about the characters and story! I’ve been having a great time with it so far.

Someone asked me what songs I’d say are the favorites of each of the major characters. Well obviously this is one of the best questions ever! So with no further ado, here are your favorite song choices!

Just like anyone’s favorite tracks, most of these songs will give you real insight into the character it represents.

Lucee Fearney

Curve – Coming Up Roses

Cullen

Nick Drake – Cello Song

Merrick Moore

Joy Division – The Sound of Music

Aisling

Mors Syphilitica – A Lullaby of Sorts

Vali Dawe

Skeletal Family – Promised Land

Sousa

New Model Army – The Hunt

If you find this fun, I’ve got more I can lay on you! Let me know if you listened and if you are enjoying my AMAs!

Meet The Characters: Sousa

Characters In Sleep You Know Writing

Joseph Sousa, aka Souz, is a good friend to Merrick and Lucee, and the drummer for their band The Drawback. He’s known to characterize himself as a “dirty punk dude” who loves a sleeveless shirt and drinking copious amounts of beer.

He also, inexplicably, is the owner of The Maithe, a giant brick building in the heart of Baltimore City. The Drawback practices there, and he lives in the practice space with all their equipment and scooters that he loves to repair for fun. He is raucous and funny and stands up for what he believes in loudly and steadfastly.

“To these folks, the city is a wasteland of negativity and should just be abandoned to the Gwyliannan. Which is ridiculous. There’s so much good in the city. The fight is there, the real reason we should be gathering together.”

Meet the rest of the characters in this ongoing series, then order the book now!

  • note: photo is a composite created by me and containing some of the excellent photography work of Karey Nation [graffiti photo]

Meet the Characters: Lucee

Characters

Merrick’s best friend is Lucee Fearney. She has been his friend since they were young, and they are very close. He looks at her like a little sister, and she is loyal and supportive of him. She can be a little trusting and naïve, and she is irrepressibly upbeat, which sometimes annoys Merrick, though he’d never tell her that.

Lucee has an undeniably attractive and fun personality, with style to match. She stands out in a crowd with her tattered prom dresses, combat boots, and acid green braids that really glow against her warm brown skin. She’s the guitarist for The Drawback, and a talented one at that, but she’s surprisingly modest about her musical skill. As bold and outgoing as she can be, secretly she often feels inadequate and struggles with feeling like she’s good enough.

Lucee is the one you count on when the chips are down – she is always there for her friends, even if she’s not sure how to be supportive. Her positive attitude is infectious!

Meet the rest of the characters in this ongoing series, then order the book now!

Meet the Characters: Aisling

Characters

The first person that Merrick meets at the party is Aisling.

It’s a testament to who Aisling [ASH-lin] is that she sticks by Merrick from the beginning – she’s the first one to see something in him, and she becomes his guide as he gets his bearings in this new, weird world. Sometimes called a “Dreamling” because she was conceived between a mortal and Fae while in the Dreamland, she is disliked and distrusted by some of the Fae. Not because of anything she has done; rather, it’s because she is perceived as unnatural, even by Fae standards.

She can join people in their dreams and move her conscious mind through dreamscapes, a power she uses to help Merrick. She is a friend to Cullen and knows him well, as they journeyed by ship to the New World together, long ago.

She is small, pretty, with dark hair that has hints of lavender all through it, and Merrick is entranced with her from the very beginning. Despite being gentle and caring, she has an inner core that is tougher than most would guess – this lady’s been through some things. If you’d like to learn more about her backstory, there’s a short story about her available when you join my mailing list!

Meet the rest of the characters in this ongoing series, then order the book now!

Meet The Characters of In Sleep You Know!

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Characters In Sleep You Know

With the release date for In Sleep You Know coming up quick [May 1st 2021, in case you’ve forgotten!] I thought you might want to have some introductions to characters from the book – so I’ll start posting some glimpses of who they are and how they look in my head over the next couple of weeks. When you read the book, come back here and see how your mental images match with mine!

By the way, there’s no right answer, once you calculate in the descriptions in the story. 😉 You may find that your inner vision is a little different from mine, and that’s okay! You get to see the world through your own eyes.

There are many characters in the tale, but of course the most important is Merrick Moore [aka The Blackbird], your cover model and aspiring musician. Merrick is in a band called The Drawback with Lucee and Sousa, and other than that, doesn’t seem to have much motivation to do anything else with his life. He’s always just skated by, until the fateful night he decides to crash a party at a mysterious house outside of the city, where secretive, strange people live.

Despite Merrick’s lack of drive, he’s got some great qualities: manners, cleverness, and loyalty. The question is… are they enough to get him through a war between Fae factions?

Theydies and Gentlebeings, The Drawback

“I want to know: why are you chasing me around? What do I have that is so important to you and your people that you will go out of your way to haunt my dreams to get me back?” – Merrick